The Engleson Files

Above is the 2006 Engleson family Jack-o-Latern; carved by yours truly, inspired by Kristin, ignored by Magnus. As much as we are trying desperately to get him into the Halloween spirit, Magnus is still a little unsure as to what the hell is going on. People are dressing up funny and carving up large vegatables into scary faces - it’s just a little too much little guy’s primative brain to comprehend. Oh well, we are having fun with it and tomorrow we (Canadian teachers) are going to, once again, blow the chinese minds by having a large group of us wonder the streets dressed up as freaks and collect candy - it’s gonna be great! Happy Halloween!!

Now, if you thought Dracula was scary, what about…Blacula! Yes, the soul brother of Dracula, it’s doesn’t get any scarier than that!

With Halloween fast approaching, we here at The Engleson Files are going to dedicate some time to this great annual festivity. As a child, Halloween meant dressing up in cool costumes (which for me was usually a pirate or dracula) and then eating lots of candy. As a teenager, it meant getting into trouble with the police due to excessive use of illegal fireworks and firecrackers (this was huge in Princeton) and then eating lots of candy. Now as a father, I get to watch the cycle continue all over again through Magnus, and then, of course, eats lots of candy. It’s beautiful! So, for the next couple of days, we honor the strange, dark heroes of Halloween - first up…Dracula.

If the colonel has his 11 herbs and spices, the Uighurs have their canteen box of three spices, which they sprinkle over everything they make: lamb, chicken, goat penis, tofu, you name it, they three spice it up! And damn, is it tasty!!

I have just recently downloaded Google Earth onto my computer and have been zooming around the world looking at you all from above. It’s a pretty amazing program, and if you click here you can see exactly where we live in China. I have highlighted a few key areas in Kaifaqu that many of you who follow the blog should know and appreciate - just click on the thumbtack thingys to get a brief description of what that specific place is. Enjoy!

p.s. You will most likely need to have Google Earth dowloaded to view all of this.

Was searching through some of the old Engleson Files last night and found a few video clips of a young Magnus Bjorn. This particular one was taken when Magnus was 16 months old when he was just learning to walk and talk. It is amazing to watch this and see the difference with him now. His exploration has moved from foot to tricycle, and, he no longer has a problem walking up and down this ramp. Well done, young man!

And now you know…the rest…of the story.

“Charge forth to Manjiatan for excellent ping pong action!”

Let the season begin! This week is the official beginning of the Manjiatan Super League of Ping Pong - let the Stinging Dragon reign again!! The MSLOPP: a league by the people, for the people.

Well, we are back from Qiqihar. We left on the train at 6:00pm last night and got into Dalian early this morning at 6:30am. We had to rush right from the train station to work - no shave, no shower, just a total fog. But, that is all apart of the charm of these trips. All in all, Qiqihar was fantastic; the hockey was great and the merrymaking was very merry. Pictures to come once they arrive - now…must…have…sleep…

And now, here I am 20 years later, in 2005, in Changchun, China. I quit hockey soon into my Midget days and only really took to playing again once I arrived in China. I am so grateful for my Minor Hockey experience because, simply, in the end, it allows me to do this at a solid level. (so to Mom and Dad, thank you). As of right now, I am not a great player, but I can play, and that is all that matters! Playing hockey in China has been my single greatest personal experience while living here, and it is something that I will carry with me until the day I die. It is so great to share the common bond of hockey with people you would least expect to. The people up in the Dong Bei region (East-North China, as they say) can play hockey very well. Their style is heavily influenced by the Russians, which makes the hockey very interesting to play. As for the cultural side of the trips, it is just such a great time to visit different places in this country with friends and experience all the strange aspects this country has to offer. So, to the Ice Dragons, it is time - Qiqihar here we come!!!

Here we jump ahead 4 years to 1985, Princeton, BC. The team(s) I played on here were absolutely horrible, and I was a big factor in that. This would have been my first year of Bantam hockey - the first year where you could hit! Yeeeaaahh! You can see me wanting this hit so bad, probably so bad that I missed him outright and then he went in and scored. Oh well, it didn’t matter, Bantam hockey was all about hitting! “Watch his chest when you line him up, watch his chest!”

Now we jump ahead three years to 1981, Wenatchee, USA. Here I am playing in my first international game, the stakes were high as national pride was on the line - nobody, and I mean nobody, wanted those Wentachee boys to have the upper hand on us Canadians! Here, you can see ‘The Big E’ barreling down on the puck and then, most likely, coughing it up somewhere soon after (I am the one with the red helmet on the right). “Keep your head up Craig, look for the pass!”

Now, here we are two years later at McLaren Arena in Penticton, BC. I have now earned the proper head and teeth gear and also have progressed to the point where I have the piece of lumber in my hands am ready to learn this great game. “Stick on the ice, Craig, stick on the ice!”